SpreadsheetFormatColumn() Right Border

Question

When I run this code:

<cfscript>
flinstones = "fred,wilma,pebbles";
Workbook = Spreadsheetnew("Workbook");
for (i = 1; i lte listlen(flinstones); i ++) {
ThisFlinstone = ListGetAt(Flinstones, i);
if (ThisFlinstone == "wilma")
SpreadSheetAddRow(Workbook, "#ThisFlinstone#,barney");
else
SpreadSheetAddRow(Workbook, ThisFlinstone);
}

Format = {};
format.rightborder = "thin";
SpreadsheetFormatColumn(WorkBook, Format, 2);
MYfile = "d:\dw\dwtest\dan\abc.xls";
writedump(format);

</cfscript>

<cfspreadsheet action="write" filename="#MYFile#" name="Workbook"  
    sheet=1 sheetname="flinstones" overwrite=true>

I expect to see a worksheet with three rows. The second row will have two columns, with wilma and barney in the cells. So far, I see what I expect. I also expect to see Column B with a right hand border. I actually see cell B2 with a right hand border.

If I change this:

SpreadSheetAddRow(Workbook, ThisFlinstone);

to this

SpreadSheetAddRow(Workbook, "#ThisFlinstone#, ");

I see a right hand border for the first three rows of Column B.

Is there a way to have the right hand border apply to all of Column B?

Answer 1

Update:

As Dan mentioned in the comments, I misread the question. To clarify, adding a border to an entire column was not supported by POI last I checked. The only way to make the border appear on the entire column is to populate every single cell in that column first. Either by setting a value explicitly or using SpreadsheetFormatCellRange(sheet, format, 1, 2, maxRow, 2) with the maximum row number. While this does work, I would not recommend it as it has some undesirable side effects.

---

Is there a way to have the right hand border apply to all of Column B?

Short answer:

Yes, by doing what you already discovered: give all of the cells ie B1, B2 and B3 a value first. Even if it is just a blank or an empty string. This will create a border on all three cells.

Update 1: If you are using CF 9.0.1, another option is SpreadsheetFormatCellRange. Unlike most spreadsheet functions, it automatically creates non-existent cells first:

    <cfset SpreadsheetFormatCellRange(Workbook, Format, 1, 2, 3, 2)>

Longer answer:

To apply a format, you need what POI calls a Cell object. When you create a new worksheet, it is completely blank, with no "cells" whatsoever. In most cases, CF only creates a Cell object when you set a value with one of the various functions ie SpreadSheetSetCellValue, SpreadSheetAddRow, etcetera. (See example below). Your original code only sets a one value in Column B. Hence it only creates a single Cell, ie B2. SpreadsheetFormatColumn only formats existing cells, that is why the border is only visible in B2.

<!--- blank sheet with no CELLS --->
<cfset Workbook = Spreadsheetnew() />
<cfset SpreadSheetWrite(Workbook, "c:/test.xls", true) />
<cfspreadsheet action="read" src="c:/test.xls" query="qValues" />
<cfdump var="#qValues#" label="No cells exist yet" />

<!--- setting one value, creates one CELL --->
<cfset Workbook = Spreadsheetnew() />
<cfset SpreadSheetAddRow(Workbook, "Fred") />
<cfset SpreadSheetWrite(Workbook, "c:/test.xls", true) />
<cfspreadsheet action="read" src="c:/test.xls" query="qValues" />
<cfdump var="#qValues#" label="Creates a single cell" />

<!--- setting two values, creates two CELL's --->
<cfset Workbook = Spreadsheetnew() />
<cfset SpreadSheetAddRow(Workbook, "Fred, ") />
<cfset SpreadSheetWrite(Workbook, "c:/test.xls", true) />
<cfspreadsheet action="read" src="c:/test.xls" query="qValues" />
<cfdump var="#qValues#" label="Creates two cells" />